In Vietnam the Mid-Autumn Festival, known as Tet Trung Thu in Vietnamese, is one of the country's mostimportant holidays, along with Vietnamese Lunar New Year, and National Day, etc. Tet Trung Thu usually takes place on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. In 2014, it was on September 8th.
The traditions surrounding this holiday date back thousands of years, and they place a huge emphasis onchildren. It is thought that the festival was originally celebrated to give parents time to catch up with their children after the summer harvest was completed. Children were believed to be the purest and most innocent, and thus they were the closest connection to the sacred and natural world.
The Mooncake Festival
Today, the approach of Mid-Autumn is signaled by the appearance of stalls selling mooncakes all over the country's streets. These cakes are very rich and are often filled with varied ingredients. Mooncakes are the most important traditional food related to Tet Trung Thu, and they are extremelyly popular.
Year by year, the Mid-Autumn mooncake stands increase in number. Boxes of mooncakes are often presented as gifts before the approaching of the holiday.
Perhaps the best place in Vietnam to observe Tet Trung Thu is Hoi An, a historical town in the central region of the country. The town is densely packed with shops, providing a prime target for lion dancers. The river running through town is covered in floating lanterns, and the atmosphere is extremely magical.
In other parts of Vietnam, the festival is largely enjoyed by children and young people. The kids go around the local areas with different types of lanterns in hands, whereas the youth prefer to go out with friends to have a dinner or a few drinks.
Occasionally we might even see a dragon, the most sacred of all animals, which is controlled by well trained dancers. The dance often attracts a huge crowd, and once in a while the man who carries the animal's head set off a firework through the dragon's mouth and thrilling the crowd. It is a MUST that this tradition needs to be kept alive.
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